Minneapolis City Council approves $15 minimum wage

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Minneapolis became one of the first cities in the nation to adopt a $15 minimum wage Friday in a move meant to set an example for the rest of the state and boost the local economy.

“This is a huge victory for workers in Minneapolis,” Council Member Lisa Bender said before the historic vote, which prompted labor activists who packed the council chambers to cheer and raise bright red signs that read, “15 WON.”

By requiring all employers in the city to pay $15 an hour by July 2024, Minneapolis joins a small group of cities across the country, including Seattle, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., that have raised the minimum wage to that level. But no one knows yet what effect the $15 per hour wage will have on businesses or workers, since none of the other cities’ ordinances has been fully implemented.